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Sunday, July 22, 2012

Bengal leads India into abyss

The report card is out. Mamata Banerjee, the new love of Bengalis
worldwide, is far more Left than the Left.
Mamata Banerjee is not only more Left, she is far less democratic than
the communists of India. She is autocratic,
averse to criticism, and does not tolerate dissent. It is unfortunate that Bengalis are now
thrown from frying pan into fire. But it
is not just Bengalis who should be worried.
In fact, whole of India should be concerned.

What happens in Bengal could happen to India. Bengal is the place where Great Britain installed
their first capital city to create the Indian Empire. Bengalis then led India into our own version
of enlightenment, if there is one. When
most of us in the hinterland lands of India were still dwelling in forests,
Bengalis were discussing Aristotle and Socrates. The sun first shone in Bengal and then over the
rest of India, literally and figuratively.
Bengalis were one of the forerunners of Indian National Movement
contributing many great men and women to the cause. During the 19th century, Bengal’s stars
shone the brightest in the sky. It produced many authors, artists, and scientists. Rabindranath Tagore won Asia’s
first Nobel Prize.

But then Bengalis became obsessed with their leader Subhash Chandra Bose so much so that they distanced themselves from the
Gandhi’s Congress. From then on light started
to become dim in Bengal, passing the beacon to only those Bengalis who lived
outside Bengal. And when Communist took
over in 1970s they just shut down lights in Bengal.

Calcutta, renamed Kolkata now, because that’s what you
hear when you say ‘Calcutta’ with a Rasogolla in your mouth, was described as a
‘dying city’ by Nehru. When I visited
that city in mid 1990s, I hated it. The
city was chaotic, had too many people and really bad streets. And yet, I could see traces of their esteemed
culture glimmering through the darkness that enshrouded the city. The people were lively, but most importantly,
took pride in their Bengaliness. They
all pursued some kind of art – some into music, some into singing, and some
into painting. Most Bengalis pursued a talent
or discussed politics and philosophy.
Even now, it produces some of the brightest minds, great
talents, and the best authors. The recent Indian Nobel Laureate for Economics is a Bengali.

What happened to Bengal is that most of Bengal fled
Bengal. Communism created a rot. It had to be expunged but it took lot of time
for Bengalis to provide an alternative.
Before Bengalis could celebrate the ouster of communists, Mamata
Banerjee has started to lead this once-upon-a-time enlightened state into abyss.

Recently when she was asked some hard questions on a
live TV show, she just
walked out. [You should watch
the video]. Before she walked out, she
called the students and professors of Jadavpur University a bunch of Maoists,
and she refused to
answer their questions. Long
ago in Europe, few fascist countries did the same.
They called every critic and every detractor an enemy of the nation, and
refused to answer their questions.

Earlier, in another incident she got pissed off because a cartoon was
circulated amongst college professors.
The professor spent time
in jail for ‘defamation, outraging modesty and humiliating a woman’. Later, she called
back the Railway Minister when he created a radical bill, and she routinely
throws tantrums with the center. She is seen as whimsical
and immature woman, known as as a peevish and petulant leader.

If the mature, talented and enlightened Bengal could
go into abyss, so could India.

"When most of us in the hinterland lands of India were still dwelling in forests, Bengalis were discussing Aristotle and Socrates. Even now, it produces some of the brightest minds, some of the great talents, and many of the best authors."

Your statements are so correct. Somehow they have become one dimensional, doctrine loving intellectuals.

Right now there are 48% non Bengali in Calcutta and many illegal Muslim immigrant from Bangladesh who have destroyed the so called elite culture of Bengal.I have no problem with Anglo Indians or Chinese of Calcutta but rest of the immigrants are simply burden for Bengal.

By the way in 1857 there were 3 Universities established in Calcutta,Bombay and Madras and when British left India there were 20 universities in Greater India only 2 of them were in Calcutta and Dhakha-Then why Calcutta produced two most renowned scientist from eastern world_JC BOse and SN BOse and 5 other Resident Nobel Laureates(isn't it the heritage of Bengal).Delhi is the capital of India since 1911,then why Delhi can not produce one single intellectual.Why rest of India can not produce one single Nobel laureate working in their home when Bangladesh has already produced legendary Micro credit Pioneer Nobel laureate-pity for India!!!

Author is right! But only in title not in substance. During UPA I the left parties from Bengal allowed all kinds of anti-people decisions. Despite their strong anti-US ideology, they allowed UPA I pursue Nuclear co-operation. They could have stopped the Nuclear bill by pulling down government. No, they gave enough time to congress to buy MPs. Now it is Mamata's turn from same state. She is unable to get any financial assistance to the state from center, whereas UP is getting the same very easily. She goes on threatening but never takes the action.I feel sorry to say that Bengal politicians are sincere but brainless. They are directly helping decline of politics in the entire nation.

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